Table or easel.



No. 874,052. PATENTED DBG.17, 1907..

' T. J; 'GANTW-BLL.

. TABLE 0R BASBL.

APPLICATION FILED IA! 20, 1907.

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P LL T E NR A0 E m APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 190'].

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UNITED STATES THOMAS J. CANTWELL, GREAT NECK, NEW YORK.

TABLE OR EASEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 20. 1907. Serial No. 374.546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CANTWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Neck, Nassau county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Tables or Easels, of which t e following is a specification.

' The object of my invention is to provide a structure which may be folded in a compact form for transportation and storing away, and which may be opened out for use as a table or a drafting board or the like, and

may also be further opened to serve as an easel for artists and similar uses, as a black board, and for other analogous purposes, and which will be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and eflicient in use.

The invention comprises the novel details of improvement and combinations of arts that will be more fully hereinafter set orth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein Figure 1 is a side view illustrating my invention adjusted for use as a table or drafting board, Fig. 2 is a front view thereof looking from the right in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view, enlarged, of detachable parts hereinafter described, Fig. 3 is a side view showing my improvements opened in position to serve as a black board, easel, or the like, Fig. 4 is a face view thereof looking from the right of Fig. 3, part being broken I away Fig. 5 is a rear view, parts broken away showing the device elevated more than shown in Fig. '3, Fig. 6 is an edge View of the device shown folded, Fig. 7 is a detail face view of one of the clips for adjusting rods 9, and Fig. 8 is an edge view thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corres onding parts in the different views.

The numerals 1, 2 indicate legs pivotally connected near their upper parts, by pivot 3, there being a pair of such legs at each end of the device, which may be braced together by suitable cross stays 4, 5, 5 respectively con necting the legs 1, 1 and 2, 2, whereby said legs may be folded together and spread apart, and at 6 are folding stays or braces pivotally connected together, as at 7, and ivotally connected with the corres onding egs 1, 2, as at 8, at opposite ends 0 the device. The

parts above described provide a folding stand I for the upper table-like parts of the device.

At 9 are longitudinally extensible rods or bars shown connected with the legs 2 and adapted to be moved lengthwise of said legs and held in adjusted positions, which rods are shown carried by suitable clips 10 provided with the spring acting button 11 adapted to grip the rods 9 and hold them in suitable positions. The rods 9 also slide through guides12 secured to legs 2 to hold said bars braced in the different positions of adjustment.

At 14 is a table top shown supported on bars 13 that are connected by a brace 15, the bars being shown near opposite ends of the device and they form a support for the table top 14 which is shown hinged to bars 13, as by hinges 16, so that the table top may be swung up above said bars 13, and may rest thereon. The rods 9 are to be connected with bars 13 which have bearings 17 extending downwardly and provided with holes 17 a ada ted to receive the bent or laterally exten ing ends 9 of rods 9, which ends are shown provided with recesses 9 to receive the edge of the metal of holes 17 a to retain the bent ends 9 of bars 9 in connection with the bearings 17 (see Fig. 2

From the-bars 13 depend braces 18 at opposite ends of the device, being shownpivotally connected with the bars 13, as at 19, and adjustably connected respectively with legs 1 with which they co-act, as by means of screws 20 carried by said legs andpassin through slots 18 in braces 18 and provide with nuts 21, whereby said braces may be secured to said legs in different positions of adiustment.

The table top 14 may be swun on its hinges 16 at a desired angle to the ars 13, and may be held in such position. by means of one or more braces 22 shown ivotally connected with the table top 14, as y hinges 23, at the u per ends of the braces, the lower ends of .sai braces being ada ted to be detachably connected with the ars 18, as by hooks 24 attached to braces 22 and engaging eyes 25 secured on cross brace 15, whereby the table top may be held in an inclined position. The braces 22 are made extensible, for which purpose I have shown said braces legs, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

made in two arts or bars 22, 22 lying one upon the ot er, and adjustably connected together, as by means of a box or frame 26 slidably receiving said bars andprovided with a screw 27 to engage thebar 22 for holding said bars firmly together and resisting lateral displacement. The braces 22 may be held. against table top 14, when not in use, by buttons 32 (Fig. 5).

The table top may be provided with holes to receive pegs 28 to serve as supports when. the table is used in an inclined position, as for an easel, blackboard, or the like. The table top 14 may be provided at its under side with a drawer. 30 carried in guides or cleats 31.

In using my improvements as a table, drafting board or the like, the supporting legs 1, 2 will be spread apart and the extension rods or bars 9 will be raised to the desired. height and held. there by the clips 10, and then the braces 18 will be adjusted by means of nuts 21 and screws 20 to cause the table top to assume the desired horizontal or other position, and then the nuts 21 will be screwed tight to hold said braces in connection with legs 1, the table top then resting u on the bars or support 13, substantially as s iown in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the device is to be used as for a blackboard or easel the brace rods 9 and braces 18 maybe adjusted to give the bars or support 13 the desired height and then the table top 14 may be swung up on its hinges 16 and secured in the desired position by the brace or braces 22 which will then be attached by hooks 24 to eyes 25 and adjusted to the desired length to give the table top the desired angle, see Figs. 3 and 4.

When the device is to be used as an easel somewhat more elevated, as for standing before the same for work, the bars 13 may be set at an angle by extending the rods 9 upwardly and sliding the braces 18 downwardly and holding them by the nuts 21, and by swinging the table top 14 upwardly on its hinges 16 and extending the brace members 22 22 as illustrated by the rear view in Fig. 5, which will raise the table top quite high and maintain it at the desired angle.

I My improvement may be folded compactly for storage and transportation by closing the legs together, disconnecting the parts 9 of the rods 9 from the hinges 17, by

ending rods 9 inwardly, swinging the braces 18 upon their screws 20, and placing the table top substantially parallel with the To re-connect rods 9 with the bearings 17 said rods will be bent sidewise to enter their ends 9 in holes 17 Various changes may be made in the details and form of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising folding legs, extension rods ad, justably carried by said legs, guides on said legs for said rods, clips for holding said rods in positions of adjustment, a table top pivotally connected with the upper parts of said rods, braces pivotally connecting said table top with said legs, and means for holding said braces in positions of adjustment.

2. A device of the character described comprising folding legs, rods adjustably connected with said legs, means to hold said rods in positions of adjustment, a support pivotally connected with the upper ends of said rods, braces pivotally connected with said support, means for adjustably connecting said braces with said legs, a table top hinged to said support near one edge, and a brace to connect said table top with said support to hold the table top at an angle to said support.

3. A device of the character described comprising folding legs, rods adjustably con nected with said legs, means to hold said rods in positions of adjustment, a support pivotally connected with the upper ends of said rods, braces pivotally connectedwith said support, means for adjustably connecting said braces with said legs, a table top hinged to said support near one edge, and a brace to connect said table top with said support to hold the table top at an angle to said support, said brace comprising extensible bars fitted together and provided with means to permit adjustment of said bars lengthwise of each other and for holding said bars in positions of adjustment.

4. A device of the character described comprising folding legs, rods adjustably connected with said legs, means to hold said rods in positions of adjustment, a support pivotally connected with the upper ends of said rods, braces pivotally connected with said support, means for adjustably connecting said braces with said legs, a table top hinged to said support near one edge, and a brace comprising apair of bars fitted together and means to permit said bars to be adjusted lengthwise of each other and for holding said bars in positions of adjustment, said brace being pivotally connected at one end with the table top near the side opposite its hinged connection with said support, and means for detachably connecting said brace with said support.

5. A device of the character described comprising folding legs 1, 2 pivotally connected together, extension rods adjustably attached to corresponding legs 2 at opposite ends of the device and arranged to be adju'sted in the general direction of the length of said legs, means for holding said rods in positions of adjustment, a support provided with bearings pivotally connected with said extension rods, braces pivotally connected with said support, means for detachably connecting said braces with legs 1 and for holding said braces in positions of adjustment, and a table top connected with said support.

6. A device of the character described comprising folding legs 1, 2 pivotally connected together, extension rods adjustably attached to corresponding legs 2 at opposite ends of the device and arranged to be adjusted in the general direction of the length of said legs, means for holding said rods in positions of adjustment, a support provided with bearings pivotally connected with said extension rods, braces pivotally connected with said support, means for detachably connecting said braces with legs 1 and for holding said braces in positions of adjustment, a table top connected with said support, and a brace connecting the table top with said support and provided with means for permitting adjustment of said brace in the direction of its length and for holding it in positions of adjustment.

7. A device of the character described comprising folding legs provided with braces,

extension rods carried by said legs and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect to said legs, means for holding said rods in positions of adjustment, said rods having -laterally extending portions at their upper ends, a support provided with bearings adapted to receive the laterally extending ends of said rods, braces pivotally connecting said support with said legs, means for holding said braces in positions of adjustment, and a table top connected with said support.

8. A device of the character described comprising folding legs provided with braces, extension rods carried by said legs and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect to said legs, means 'for holding said rods in positions of adjustment, said rods having laterally extending portions at their upper ends, a support provided with bearing holes adapted to receive the laterally extending ends of said rods, braces pivotally connecting said support with said legs, means for holding said braces in positions of adjustment, and a table top connected with said support, said laterally extending portions of said rods being provided with recesses adapted to fit over the edges of said holes.

THOMAS J. CANTWELL.

Witnesses:

T. F. BOURNE, MARIE F. WAINRIGHT. 

